USS O-10

The O-class submarines were designed to meet a Navy requirement for coastal defense boats.[1] The submarines had a length of 172 feet 3 inches (52.5 m) overall, a beam of 18 feet 1 inch (5.5 m) and a mean draft of 14 feet 5 inches (4.4 m). They displaced 521 long tons (529 t) on the surface and 629 long tons (639 t) submerged. The O-class submarines had a crew of 29 officers and enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 200 feet (61.0 m).[2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 440-brake-horsepower (328 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 370-horsepower (276 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) underwater. On the surface, the O class had a range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph).[2]

The boats were armed with four 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried four reloads, for a total of eight torpedoes. The O-class submarines were also armed with a single 3"/50 caliber deck gun.[2]

O-10 served during World War I operating out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on coastal patrol against German U-boats until 2 November 1918, when she departed Newport, Rhode Island with other submarines for service in European waters. However, the Armistice with Germany was signed before the ships reached the Azores, and the ships returned to the United States.

In 1919, O-10 joined others of her class at New London, Connecticut, to train submarine crews at the Submarine School there. In 1924, O-10 steamed to Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone where she was reclassified as a second-line submarine on 25 July 1924. Returning to operations at New London, she reverted to first-line duties on 6 June 1928. She continued at New London until January 1930, when she sailed north to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, returning to New London in February. She continued training duties until February 1931, when she sailed to Philadelphia, decommissioning there on 25 June.

With the approach World War II, there was a recognized need for numerous training submarines. O-10 recommissioned at Philadelphia on 10 March 1941 and went to New London in May. She departed on a trial run to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 19 June 1941, the day before O-9 failed to return. O-10 joined in the search for her sister ship but found no trace of her. At 1655 on 22 June, Triton, with Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox on board, fired a 21-gun salute for the crew lost on the ill-fated vessel. Returning to New London, O-10 trained crews there until war's end. She then sailed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and decommissioned there on 10 September 1945. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 October 1945, she was sold to John J. Duane Company of Quincy on 21 August 1946.

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.

• Photo gallery of USS O-10 at NavSource Naval History